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Elephant Passages Open on New Delhi-Dehradun Expressway
13 Apr
Summary
- New Delhi-Dehradun expressway features a 12 km green elevated wildlife corridor.
- Over 40,000 photos showed 18 wildlife species using the underpasses.
- Expressway reduces travel time between Delhi and Dehradun to 2-2.5 hours.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Delhi-Dehradun Elevated Expressway on Tuesday, a project featuring a 12-kilometer "Green Elevated Corridor," noted as Asia's longest. This innovative structure allows wildlife to pass safely beneath the expressway, constructed within the riverbed between Rajaji Tiger National Park and the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department.
The expressway significantly reduces travel time between Delhi and Dehradun to just 2-2.5 hours. This 210-kilometer corridor is vital for Uttarakhand's development, aiming to boost tourism and improve accessibility for visitors.
Wildlife Institute of India's research, using camera traps and acoustic recorders, documented 18 species utilizing the underpasses, with 60 safe elephant crossings recorded. This highlights the project's success in maintaining ecological continuity within the sensitive Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
Efforts during construction minimized tree felling, reducing the number of trees cut from an estimated 45,000 to 11,160. Over 193,000 saplings have been planted to further environmental benefits. The expressway is projected to save 19% in fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2.44 million tons over 20 years.
